“The way you glance, the way you show your emotions, the way you do your game face—these are all fueled by the power of your eyes, because a single look can say it all” —Strokes Beauty Lab’s Momoi Supe
“Treat yourself” carries new meaning in the middle of a pandemic. Strokes Eye Beauty Studio, on the other hand, makes it possible with all-new innovations like the Strokes Mobile Suite, a personalized, full service Strokes Mobile luxury experience—an extension of their studios, complete with premium features and equipment—right at your doorstep.
Strokes Eye Beauty Studio, known as the pioneer in eye beauty in the Philippines and the home of Premium Eyebrow Sculpting, is beloved by celebrities and beauty queens alike. Spearheaded by leading brow artists, Momoi Supe and Keighty Wong, they’re now celebrating five successful years in the industry.
What started as an eye beauty studio in a 25sqm condo unit has now grown to four upscale locations in the metro. We get to know Momoi Supe, Strokes Eye Beauty Studio and Strokes Beauty Lab Founder, CEO and Master Artist in an exclusive tell-all.
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Wonder: Tell us about yourself, and what your role is for the brand. How do you pursue creativity every day?
Momoi: I am Momoi Supe, Strokes Eye Beauty Studio & Strokes Beauty Lab Founder, CEO and Master Artist. Eye beauty is something that I am very passionate about. It all started when I was in high school. I would save my allowance to buy makeup, so I can try them on my close girl friends and classmates. But it was during college that my deeper love for beauty, in general, developed. As I was studying Interior Design in UP Diliman, I acquired a great fascination and love for beauty, and all things that are beautiful. I am an Interior Designer by profession, and was a part-time make up artist.
I pursue creativity by doing what I love to do the most, helping people feel more confident with themselves through eye beauty. I do this through the work at Strokes Eye Beauty Studio as the master brow artist, and with the team at our Beauty Lab by coming up with the next beauty item we want to share to the world.
W: Strokes Eye Beauty Studio just celebrated five years as the pioneer in eye beauty in the Philippines. Could you share the brand’s humble beginnings, how did it start?
M: Strokes started in November 2015, in my humble 25 square meter condo unit in Timog, Quezon City. I had just returned from my 2-month training in Singapore and 5-month design job in Dubai. It was the ASEAN Summit. I decided to post a microblading work on my Facebook and Instagram accounts—and got several inquiries within a few minutes. At first, I thought of it as just a part-time job because I was also doing Interior Design [with] a few makeup jobs on the side. But three months later, I decided to transfer into a bigger studio unit to accommodate more clients.
The name Strokes by Momoi Supe was introduced in February 2016, in Mother Ignacia. For the first three months of operation, we were focused on eyebrow microblading. But due to insistent client demand to expand our services, I asked my partners to undergo training for lip and eyeliner tattooing. I, myself, went to London to study Keratin eyelash lifting, which soon became a big hit amongst my clients, especially celebrities. Soon, more celebrities and beauty queens came to Strokes for eyebrow tattoo and keratin lash lift.
And then one day, a client came in for a touch up, and offered me a space in Greenbelt 1. I was hesitant at first because of the amount of rent and responsibility, but she assured me that I won’t regret opening a branch in that mall, and that Strokes fits perfectly there. So in September 2016, we transferred and opened our flagship store in Greenbelt 1. Business went smoothly for months, until we realized that we were losing our clients from the north due to the distance and traffic. With this dilemma, we decided to open a branch in the north once again to accommodate these clients and more. And so in June 2017, we opened our Vertis North Branch. We wanted our studios to be accessible to everyone, and so we opened our Shangri-la Branch in 2018, BGC branch in 2019 and Molito branch in 2020.
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W: You advocate for achieving everyday confidence with natural beauty. Why do you believe that beauty is in the eyes?
M: Your eyes make the first impression. This pandemic has proved to us that eye beauty is really important, since we’re always wearing masks. Not only are they your most visually-arresting facial feature, they are also where your confidence shows. The way you glance, the way you show your emotions, the way you do your game face—these are all fueled by the power of your eyes, because a single look can say it all. That’s why here at Strokes, we believe that your eyes should be framed beautifully with impeccable lashes and brows that can give you everyday confidence as you conquer your goals
W: What do you want people to feel after spending time at Strokes?
M: All of us artists at the Strokes Eye Beauty Studio are very passionate about what we do. We respect and acknowledge that every client and eyebrow has a story. And with every story, we aim to give the happiest ending that they deserve by ensuring perfection and satisfaction.
Eye beauty plays an important role in everyday confidence. We make sure that our clients could always have good brows that can boost this confidence.
W: With the challenges imposed by the pandemic, how did your brand face these hurdles and adapt to the new normal?
M: We actually launched Strokes Beauty Lab during the pandemic, which was very challenging, but through this, it helped us gain more visibility online.
For Strokes Eye Beauty Studio, we had to stop operations for almost eight months. To overcome this, we launched our Strokes-at-Home Services so that we can still accommodate clients, and give jobs to our employees. I believe that help must be extended first within your core/family.
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W: What made you want to pursue Strokes Beauty Lab? How did you curate and choose “pocket-friendly quality beauty” products?
M: In the past five years, I have worked on almost 30,000 brows through Strokes Eye Beauty Studio. I realize that there is potential for my services to be made more readily available, without sacrificing its high-grade quality. So I came up with my own line of cosmetic products, made to match professional beauty standards. Ultimately, we want Strokes to be a household name. We want people to remember that we are the pioneers of eye beauty.
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Momoi Supe’s story is nothing short of inspiring. Strokes Eye Beauty Studio started in a small condo unit and, five years later, has grown into a household name, with locations all over the metro. A dream come true for one who simply “would save my allowance to buy makeup, so I can try them on my close girl friends and classmates.”
Stay updated with Strokes Eye Beauty Studio by following them on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Momoi Supe, too, on Instagram.
Photos Strokes Eye Beauty Studio
Art Macky Arquilla
